Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has said the club want to keep United States teen Gio Reyna at the club for "as long as possible."

Reyna, 17, provided an assist as he made his first start for Dortmund against RB Leipzig on Saturday, in what was his 17th competitive appearance for the club.

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He scored his first goal in a 3-2 defeat at Bremen in the German Cup in February. Reyna is under a youth contract until 2021, but Dortmund want to tie him to a long-term deal once he turns 18 in November.

"Our coach Lucien Favre and I agree that he has a big future ahead of him," Zorc told a news conference ahead of their final Bundesliga game of the season against Hoffenheim.

"He is still a minor, but we are in very positive talks to, once he turns in 18, keep him at the club for as long as possible."

Reyna joined Dortmund in the summer of 2019 and spent the first half of the season with the club's under-19 squad. He was promoted to the senior team during the winter break and has stood out as an impact substitute.

"I believe that Gio is aware of the development he has taken here. First, in the academy and then under [manager] Lucien [Favre]," Zorc said. "It's an absolute success story and we want to continue writing it."

Following a difficult first half of the season, Dortmund coach Favre came under pressure and his future beyond the end of this campaign had come in for serious question.

But the winter transfers of Erling Haaland and Emre Can as well as Reyna's promotion have increased BVB's point tally from 30 points in the first 17 games to 39 from 16 matches in the second half of the Bundesliga season.

And Zorc confirmed on Thursday that Dortmund will go into the new season with Favre, who is under contract at the Westfalenstadion until 2021.

The preseason-opening Dallas Cowboys-Pittsburgh Steelers game at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 6 is being canceled and the Hall of Fame's Aug. 8 enshrinement ceremony is being postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, league sources told ESPN.

This marks the first time the NFL has had to cancel an event on its calendar because of the pandemic, with the Hall of Fame Game annually kicking off the preseason. The NFL had been able to conduct free agency, albeit in a different way, as well as a virtual NFL draft.

The Cowboys and Steelers are now expected to play in the 2021 Hall of Fame Game, sources said, and the enshrinement ceremony also is expected to be held next year.

The game's cancellation is anticipated to change when the Cowboys and Steelers report to training camp. The Cowboys and Steelers were preparing to be the first two teams to report to camp in about a month but now are likely to report with the rest of the league's teams.

The majority of teams are scheduled to report to training camp July 28, but there has been no definitive word from the NFL about whether that will happen. This is a topic that is expected to be addressed in Thursday's conference call with NFL owners, sources said.

You love baseball. Tim Kurkjian loves baseball. So while we await its return, every day we'll provide you with a story or two tied to this date in baseball history.

ON THIS DATE IN 1936, rookie Joe DiMaggio tied a then-major league record with four extra-base hits in a game.

DiMaggio would finish that season with 88 extra-base hits; Albert Pujols (88) and Hal Trosky (89) are the only others with that many in a rookie season. DiMaggio finished that year with 29 home runs, 125 RBIs and a .323 average. He finished his career with a .325 average, three MVPs, two second-place finishes and nine world championship rings. He had 13 All-Star appearances in 13 years and the longest hitting streak in baseball history at 56 games.

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There has never been a power/contact hitter quite like him in the history of the game. DiMaggio hit 361 home runs and struck out 369 times. In seven different seasons, he hit at least 25 homers and had more homers than strikeouts. In 1941, the year in which he hit in 56 consecutive games, he hit 30 homers and struck out 13 times. He never struck out 40 times in a season: Over the past three seasons, 2017-19, 29 times has a player struck out at least 40 times in a calendar month. DiMaggio had one three-strikeout game and 205 games of at least three hits.

The day DiMaggio died in 1999, I gave some of these numbers to the Yankees' Darryl Strawberry.

"No, that's impossible,'' he said. "No one could be that good.''

DiMaggio was. He was so regal, so elegant, so graceful as a player. He refused to play in any Old Timers' Games because he didn't want anyone to remember him as a broken-down player; he wanted to be remembered for gliding through the outfield or hitting a vicious line drive. And he was a cultural icon. He was married to Marilyn Monroe. Ernest Hemingway wrote about him in "The Old Man And The Sea." Simon and Garfunkel included him in the song "Mrs. Robinson." And, in retirement, he became Mr. Coffee.

DiMaggio was distant and aloof. I met him once, in 1986, and I was scared to death. We arrived at the men's room in the press box at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium at the same time. One urinal was open. He took it.

"I have to go worse than you do,'' he said.

Here's to you, Joe DiMaggio.

DiMaggio was revered in the game, especially by opponents. In the All-Star Game in Detroit, in 1941, the American League won on a walk-off home run by Ted Williams, who told me this: "The best part of that day is Joe DiMaggio was at home plate to congratulate me.''

The 1941 season was magical. DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak will never be matched; it captivated the country. He hit .408 with 15 homers and 55 RBIs during the streak. He struck out five times, none in the last 32 games of the streak. In 1978, Pete Rose hit in 44 straight games, a magnificent feat indeed, but still a hit a week for two weeks short of DiMaggio. After it was stopped, DiMaggio hit in 16 straight games, meaning a hit in 72 out of 73 games.

He won the MVP that year, the year in which Williams hit .406. That year (and others), Williams played left field while Joe's brother, Dom, played center field for the Red Sox. Williams had the scoreboard operator inside the Green Monster provide updates on the hitting streak, as in "Joe just got a hit; 38 in a row.'' Ted relayed that info to Dom.

The Great DiMaggio, indeed.

Other baseball notes for June 24

• In 1955, Harmon Killebrew hit his first major league home run. He hit the most home runs (573) ever by someone with a last name that starts with K.

• In 1979, Rickey Henderson made his major league debut. He is a top-15 player ever. If he played today, in the analytics era, he would be even better with how much we value the walk.

• In 1986, Phil Hughes was born. He was a good major league pitcher with impeccable control. In 2014 with the Twins, he had 16 wins and 16 walks. Every spring with the Twins, he would invite the team over for dinner. He did all the cooking. He is a great cook.

You love baseball. Tim Kurkjian loves baseball. So while we await its return, every day we'll provide you with a story or two tied to this date in baseball history.

ON THIS DATE IN 1988, a major league game began without a center fielder on the field.

The Angels' Devon White, one of the greatest defensive center fielders of all time, was in the clubhouse finishing a phone call when the first pitch of the Brewers-Angels game was thrown. Jim Gantner grounded out, but the game was restarted when White got to his position. Then Gantner singled ... to center field. After the game, Angels right fielder Chili Davis was asked if he had noticed that there was no center fielder on the field.

"Yes," he said, laughing. "I yelled to the umpires, but not only are they blind, they're deaf, too.''

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Wacky plays happen in baseball more than any sport. It's what makes it so great.

Mariners third baseman Lenny Randle got on his knees and blew a bunt into foul territory. Rangers right fielder Jose Canseco was hit on the head with a fly ball; it bounced over the fence for a home run for Carlos Martinez.

"The World Cup is coming to Dallas,'' Rangers infielder Jeff Huson said. "Jose was just practicing.''

Kirk Gibson, in his one season with the Pirates in 1992, was on first base in Chicago. Jay Bell singled behind him toward right field. Gibson's helmet, as always, went flying off as he was racing to second base. The ball hit the helmet and ricocheted to second baseman Ryne Sandberg, who threw to third base. Gibson didn't see any of this; he took off for third and was tagged out in a rundown.

The Pirates' Andy Van Slyke said: "Score that putout 7¼ to 5 to 6.''

The center fielders for the Giants and Mets, Willie McGee and Vince Coleman, shared a glove for a three-game series at Shea Stadium in 1992.

"And it was a blue glove,'' Giants catcher Terry Kennedy said.

McGee's three gloves had been stolen from the clubhouse, so he borrowed one from Coleman, a former teammate. They left the glove in center field at the end of each half inning. In kangaroo court, Kennedy said, "We fined Willie $2 an inning. The Mets fined Vince $5 for each catch Willie made.''

In 1991, triple-A Vancouver outfielder Rodney McCray ran through a wooden wall in right-center field trying to make a catch. He suffered a bloody nose and cuts on his forehead, but finished the inning.

"I'm built pretty good; I have 3% body fat and a really hard head,'' McCray said. "I stayed down for a minute behind the fence, but only because I fell in a mud puddle back there.''

In 2004, triple-A Indianapolis Indians first baseman Jeff Liefer got locked inside a dugout bathroom, forcing a 20-minute delay of the game against Louisville. The handle on the inside of the door didn't work. A maintenance man handed Liefer tools through a vent so he could unscrew the handle. When Liefer ran back on the field, a gift of toilet paper was waiting from the Louisville dugout. "They announced that an Indians player was being temporarily detained in the clubhouse, which can be interpreted a million different ways, I suppose,'' Liefer said. "The place just erupted when I came back on the field. Everyone knew what had happened.''

In 2010, a ground ball ended up in the jersey of Braves third baseman Brooks Conrad, who couldn't get it out in time to make a throw to first. In 2016, Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal had a pitch lodge inside his chest protector, allowing a runner to score. In 2017, Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina got a pitch stuck on the outside of his chest protector, allowing a runner to reach. And in 1986, a comebacker hit by Keith Hernandez lodged in the glove of Giants pitcher Terry Mulholland, who threw the whole glove to first baseman Bob Brenly for the out.

"You blew it,'' Mike Krukow told Brenly after the game. "You should have whipped it around the infield!''

Other baseball notes for June 25

• In 1963, Mike Stanley was born. He hit 187 home runs -- eight were grand slams, as many as Willie Mays hit.

• In 1976, the Rangers' Toby Harrah played all 18 innings of a doubleheader at shortstop without receiving a defensive chance. On an unrelated note, his last name is a palindrome.

• In 1972, Carlos Delgado was born. He was an underrated player. He hit four homers in a game. He has the most homers (473) of anyone whose last name starts with D.

With the final hurdles cleared for a 2020 MLB season, the likes of which we've never seen before, we asked ESPN's baseball writers, reporters and editors for their best guesses on what we'll witness during this abbreviated campaign.

What teams and players are best suited for the shortened season? And who will struggle? Which is the team to beat? And who will be the 60-game MVPs? Here's what our experts had to say.

Pick one team that could thrive during the 60-game season?

Our votes: Rays 4; Dodgers 3; Angels, A's, Braves, Brewers, Padres, Rangers, Reds 1.

Why the Rays? Given the increased importance of every game in a shortened season, strong bullpens will be more important than ever. Year after year, the Rays find ways to pluck great relievers seemingly out of thin air, and I expect 2020 will be no different. -- Joon Lee

The case for the Dodgers: I actually believe it's the Dodgers, even though one could argue a team this thoroughly talented might be more vulnerable with a smaller sample size. Their depth might be more important in this 60-game season than it would in a typical 162-game campaign. Their pitching depth will help them navigate a short spring training, their position-player depth will grant them far more designated hitter options than any other National League team and their overall depth will help combat a season when a multitude of players might be sidelined with positive COVID-19 tests. -- Alden Gonzalez

Eyeing the Angels: This gives the Angels at least a chance to get "full" seasons on the mound from Shohei Ohtani -- who would otherwise have been on a restrictive innings limit -- and Griffin Canning, who would have missed the first half of a full season with injuries. They also have one of the oldest lineups in baseball, and the oldsters might benefit from evading the 162-game grind. -- Sam Miller

Don't forget the Braves: Evaluators highlighted a pair of potential elements for winning teams in a shortened season: starting-pitching depth and young position players. The Braves have both. Their rotation could include Mike Soroka, Max Fried, Cole Hamels, Mike Foltynewicz, Felix Hernandez, Kyle Wright, Sean Newcomb, Touki Toussaint and prospects Ian Anderson, Bryse Wilson, Tucker Davidson, Kyle Muller, Huascar Ynoa and Jasseel De La Cruz. It's an obvious piggybacking situation. Their lineup has stars Ronald Acuña Jr. (22 years old) and Ozzie Albies (23), Dansby Swanson (26) and could at some point include outfielders Cristian Pache (21) and Drew Waters (21).

Atlanta has won two consecutive National League East championships. They're favorites for a third straight. -- Jeff Passan

In the Brewers' favor: The Brewers have a lot of mix and match, especially on the pitching side, that won't have to be paced across a full 162 and a perfect DH candidate in Ryan Braun whose once-again-everyday status strengthens the lineup. And I think the competition in the two Central divisions is going to be the weakest across the leagues. -- Tristan Cockcroft

Winning formulas: The sorts of clubs that will benefit most are (1) stable veteran contenders with a deep pitching staff and (2) young, high-variance fringe contenders. In the first group, we have the Dodgers, Yankees and Rays. In group two, there are many more options, but I'll narrow it down to the Padres, Braves and Blue Jays. -- Kiley McDaniel

I think teams with very young rosters, such as the Blue Jays, Tigers and Marlins, will benefit in the beginning. Fitness and preparation are going to be an important factor from the get-go. But any team with a solid rotation will thrive, given that hitters will have less time to get their timing at the plate, meaning the Nationals, Dodgers and Rays will have an edge. -- Marly Rivera

Pick one team that could struggle during a 60-game season?

Our votes: Nationals 3; Astros 2½; A's, Indians, Yankees 2; Red Sox, Twins 1; Dodgers ½.

The defending champs? Not only did the Nationals start slowly last season, which if repeated would be a bigger problem, but Anthony Rendon is gone and the pitching depth, particularly in the bullpen, could be a concern. -- Eric Karabell

Trouble in Houston? The Astros have lost Gerrit Cole, and Justin Verlander just started throwing off a mound as he recovers from March groin surgery. They will need heroes to emerge, such as Lance McCullers Jr. -- Buster Olney

Why the Yankees? Dare I say the New York Yankees? I do. There's a lot of risk/reward on the roster. It'll be a tough year for finding free-agent replacements or completing trades. And the East divisions are sure to be the majors' most competitive. I see the Yankees making the playoffs, but I see their winning percentage ranging closer to that of the wild-card teams than a runaway division champ. -- Cockcroft

Why the Indians? During the past two seasons, Cleveland got off to slow starts and had to play better late in the campaign to make up for it. The pitching staff is the clear strength of the team, but ramping up starters is going to be extremely challenging without spring training games. And we never really know what to expect from Jose Ramirez in a given month. -- Dan Mullen

Why the A's? Recent history suggests the A's are slow starters. If that carries over, they could be out of it before they find their groove. -- Jesse Rogers

Plenty of concerns: Teams without a lot of stability in their pitching staff, including the Braves, Cardinals and Twins. -- Rivera

All of them, because 60 games is such a crapshoot. The best players can fall into bad slumps during 60 games, and given the unusual timeline of the season and how people have been mostly at home for the past few months, it really feels like anything could be possible. -- Lee

Sorry for the cop out, but this is the truth: The one that gets hit with COVID-19 infections and the soft-tissue injuries that are so abundant early in the season. In a 60-game season, a COVID outbreak in a clubhouse could be crushing. The players who test positive will miss at least a week of action - and all those exposed to them will need to quarantine, too. When there are only nine weeks in a season, playing extremely shorthanded for one of them could be crushing. Say a COVID-hit team goes 1-9 over a week and a half. Let's also say a playoff berth requires a .550 winning percentage. That's a 33-27 record, meaning that faltering team would need to play .640 baseball over the remainder of its games to make up for that down stretch.

Just watch: The healthiest teams will be the best. -- Passan

Bottom line, which is the team to beat in baseball this season?

Our votes: Dodgers 14½; Yankees 2½

Why the Dodgers? Adding the DH is a dream situation for their stacked offense, and they can maximize their pitching staff knowing they don't have to cap any of their young starters' innings. -- Cockcroft

So much depth and talent. Mookie Betts should thrive in L.A., and David Price could be in line for a bounce-back season in the NL. -- Peter Lawrence-Riddell

There's no compelling reason to think that our spring training perspectives should be radically altered by the short format, if only because we have never done this before. -- Bradford Doolittle

It's still the Los Angeles Dodgers. Long season, short season - when you're as talented and deep as the Dodgers, the length doesn't matter. With teams already looking to shed salary, too, the Dodgers can use their farm system to poach relievers if their bullpen proves at all troublesome. They are a juggernaut waiting to happen, and the 10-team playoff format gives them more certainty than a 16-team expanded version would have. -- Passan

The Dodgers are the class of the NL. Can they do it in October, however? -- David Schoenfield

Pointing to pinstripes: Gerrit Cole is healthy and in the prime of his career, and he gives the Yankees the ace that they needed. On paper, it's as good a team as we've seen in a couple of decades -- and during the down time, some of their walking wounded, including Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Hicks, healed. -- Olney

Who is one player you think could thrive under 2020's format?

Our votes: Shohei Ohtani, Kyle Schwarber 3.

Also mentioned: Ronald Acuna Jr., Joey Gallo, Marco Gonzales, MacKenzie Gore, Josh Hader, Bryce Harper, Keston Hiura, Michael Kopech, Francisco Lindor, Jesus Luzardo, Luis Patino, Nate Pearson, A.J. Puk, Miguel Sano, Max Scherzer, Juan Soto, Stephen Strasburg, Eugenio Suarez.

Why Ohtani? He should be ready to pitch out of the rotation when the season begins in late July, and he also will be DH'ing on most of the days when he isn't the starting pitcher. If that holds true for the duration of the season, there might not be another player who has a greater impact over the course of 60 games. -- Gonzalez

Why Schwarber? He really should have been drafted by an American League team, but now, with the universal DH, he can leave his outfield glove at home. -- Karabell

Others ready to shine: Bryce Harper. Historically, he is a very fast starter, and if he has to deal with a nagging injury or two along the way, he could benefit from some days at DH. -- Olney

Eugenio Suarez. He had shoulder surgery in January, so he has had months to regain strength. In a stacked Reds lineup, he'll put up MVP numbers. -- Rogers

A.J. Puk. This is as much about a type of player who could succeed as this specific player, but I'm very intrigued by young high-upside arms who can pitch in a variety of roles as the season goes. Dominant young pitchers who can alternate between starting and becoming multi-inning relievers as needed are going to be difference-makers this season. -- Mullen

Miguel Sano. No cold weather, plus AL Central opponents? He'll win the home run title. -- Christina Kahrl

Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer should benefit from the shortened schedule, given Strasburg's workload last postseason and Scherzer's injury issues by the end of the season and even in spring training. Now they won't have to worry about holding back. -- Schoenfield

Young, upper-minors prospect pitchers will be the winners in terms of getting MLB service time they normally wouldn't have received. MacKenzie Gore, Luis Patino, Michael Kopech and Nate Pearson are at the top of that list. -- McDaniel

A resilient, durable, multi-inning, front-line reliever could have outsize value this year. And that pretty much sounds like I'm describing Josh Hader. -- Doolittle

Who is one player who you think could struggle under 2020's format?

Our votes: Shohei Ohtani 2.

Also receiving one vote: Kyle Hendricks, Craig Kimbrel, Mookie Betts, Gerrit Cole, Anthony Rendon, Clayton Kershaw, Yuli Gurriel, Miguel Cabrera, Albert Pujols, Jose Ramirez, Madison Bumgarner, Edwin Encarnacion, players in their walk year, veteran starting pitchers.

Ohtani again? I worry about Ohtani getting on track at the plate, because if the shorter schedule involves fewer days off, he might lose some time at DH between starts. -- Kahrl

Others with issues: Mookie Betts, Gerrit Cole, Anthony Rendon -- any player who might have otherwise been granted a little adjustment period in a new setting. -- Miller

Players in contract seasons already face enormous pressure in putting forth the best effort possible to maximize earnings in free agency. Now they face the added stress of a 60-game season in which a 10-game slump could sink a stat line. -- Lee

I think it will be trying for any veteran starter. Baseball players are creatures of habit, and none more than a starting pitcher. Not only did their training get disrupted, a short season also affects the time they would need to build up arm strength. -- Rivera

I'd be most concerned about older players who would be high risk for decline anyway. Nelson Cruz fits here, although he was so good last year, it's not like he'll suddenly be terrible. I wouldn't count on a Miguel Cabrera comeback or Albert Pujols being of much value to the Angels -- Schoenfield

Some guys are just slow starters, and I'm wondering how that will show up in a two-month season. Take someone like Yuli Gurriel, the Astros' first baseman, for example. Over the past three years, his OPS at the end of May has been .693. After May: .882. -- Gonzalez

Betts. Not only is he changing teams (and leagues) for the first time in his career, with the shortened season, Mookie will be facing a ton of pressure to perform for his new squad and a new contract. -- Steve Richards

Craig Kimbrel: He already has struggled in a shortened season. After signing with the Cubs in June last year, he gave up a career-high nine home runs. He isn't getting the normal spring training for a second consecutive season, so watch out. -- Rogers

Who are your picks for 60-game MVPs?

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Our votes: Mike Trout 8; Alex Bregman, Francisco Lindor 2; Matt Chapman, Carlos Correa, Josh Donaldson, Giancarlo Stanton 1.

The case for Trout: The best player on earth. -- McDaniel

The case for Bregman: Maybe this will go the other way, but Bregman loves proving people wrong, and he is heading into a season with a lot to prove. He is an elite player with or without any sign stealing, and he'll relish the chance to quiet his doubters. Bregman does have a history of slow starts, so there's definitely a chance this pick won't look so good with the 60-game format. -- Lawrence-Riddell

The case for Lindor: He is in the prime of his career and healthy, and he will face a lot of pitchers he knows well, with two-thirds of his games against AL Central opponents. -- Olney

Other picks: Josh Donaldson goes through a stretch or two every year when it doesn't seem like anyone is going to get him out. Now he only has to keep his legs healthy for a couple of months, instead of five or six. And his NL-to-AL move takes him out of a division with starting pitchers named Strasburg, Scherzer, deGrom and Nola into one where he'll be facing the Tigers and White Sox often. -- Mullen

Matt Chapman wins it as the star player on the AL West-winning A's. -- Kahrl

Carlos Correa. He only has to stay healthy for 60 games. -- Richards

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Our votes: Mookie Betts 6; Ronald Acuna Jr. 5; Jacob deGrom, Bryce Harper, Juan Soto, Eugenio Suarez, Fernando Tatis Jr., Christian Yelich 1.

Why Acuna? One of baseball's most dynamic young players takes the next step in his progression. -- Richards

Why Betts? Betts has the added factor of a laser-focused, Usain Bolt-like sprint into free agency. He has 60 games to be the one guy to beat a depressed market. -- Doolittle

He'll show teams why free agency won't be entirely dead this winter. -- Passan

Other contenders: Harper will blast out of the gates crushing the ball and never slow down. -- Olney

Christian Yelich. No matter the format, this is a pretty self-explanatory pick. A few days off in the DH role is only going to help matters. -- Mullen

Continuing a series featuring AW content from years gone by, here is our report of Cathy Freeman’s famous 400m victory on home soil at Sydney 2000

Edition: September 27, 2000

The race of all their lives

September 25, 2000

Forget about Sydney flu. Anyone entering Australia before these Games couldn’t avoid being bitten by a much stronger bug: Freeman fever. the Aboriginal icon, described in Australia as a mix between Princess Diana and David Beckham, had the pressure of a nation riding on her slim shoulders.

She did not disappoint. When the gun went for the 400m final the 110,000 capacity stadium roared in expectation and rose to their feet. Australia had waited four years for this moment.

Freeman had waited her whole life. Now it would be decided in a little under 50 seconds.

Two Britons were among seven rivals threatening to spoil the party: Katharine Merry and Donna Fraser. If they beat Freeman they would be lucky to get out of Australia alive. They knew this, but it didn’t stop them trying.

After suffering a lull in form during August, Merry was back to her best and charged away determinedly in lane three. Freeman was in lane six. Marie-Jose Perec may have fled the Games, but her look-a-like, the infinitely more approachable and likeable Fraser, was in lane two.

La Gazelle L’Angleterre went off steadily, as did Merry. But all eyes were on Freeman who, clad in her Nike swift suit, was running with purpose and – amazingly under the circumstances – a cool head.

Into the home straight Freeman, Lorraine Graham of Jamaica and Merry were almost stride for stride. But then Freeman began to stride inexorably toward her destiny – an Olympic gold medal.

Agonisingly for Merry, Graham edged ahead and on to silver. Merry held on to bronze, ahead of Fraser, who finished like a train on her inside.

Freeman crossed the line and the clock read 49.11. Nobody cared about the time. The over-riding emotion for Freeman and Australia was that of relief. Nothing but relief.

“It was awesome!” said Merry. “Coming into the home straight it seemed the last 60 metres went in slow motion. I was just digging in. I am extremely proud of myself.

“I was trying to calm down and heard Linford (Christie) shout: ‘Christmas, Christmas!’ (her coach’s nickname for her) and that helped me relax. The atmosphere was incredible. Even the moths went into hiding it was so loud.”

Merry’s 49.72 was a lifetime best, was Fraser’s 49.79. The two Britons had bests of 50.05 and 50.85 before the Games. Now, surely, the British record of 49.43 held by Kathy Cook is in their sights. If the conditions had been a little kinder (warmer and less breezy) Cook’s 1984 mark could have been erased from the book.

“I wasn’t aware how fast it was,” said Fraser. “I am happy with the time but not the position. Fourth is always a difficult position. But I am so happy for Cathy,” added Fraser, who had trained with Freeman in the run-up to the Games.

Further down the field, Ana Guevara from Mexico ran 49.96 while Heide Seyerling clocked a South African record in sixth with 50.05.

On her lap of honour Freeman carried, as promised, the Australia and Aboriginal flag. Soon, the relief turned into jubilation as the accomplishment sank in.

A tearful Australian teenage girl, who was delivering results to media for the organisers, stood choked with emotion. “Wasn’t that just like nothing you have ever seen?” she said.

Or likely to ever see again.

Report by Jason Henderson who, with Chris Turner and Lucy Gibson and photographer Mark Shearman, delivered ‘on-the-whistle’ reports from magic Monday to AW colleagues in England due to the session falling bang on the magazine’s deadline.

PORT ROYAL, Pa. – After years of twists and turns, and countless hours learning from sprint car racing’s best, Anthony Macri finally broke through to win on the national stage Wednesday night.

Macri raced to his first victory with the Ollies’ Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions at Port Royal Speedway, topping the Keith Kauffman Classic for a $6,000 payday.

He led all 30 laps from the pole and did it against the sport’s best, with a 3.567-second triumph over red-hot Kyle Larson and Aaron Reutzel, who finished second and fourth, respectively.

“Man, I don’t know what to say,” the 21-year-old said. “This is [freaking] badass.”

Macri started his night in formidable shape, timing fourth of the 35 entrants with a lap of 16.680, compared to Brock Zearfoss’ quick lap of 16.530. He finished third in his heat, which squeaked him into one of the two dashes to decide the top 10 starting positions.

The 21-year-old started fifth in the first dash and by the backstretch of the opening lap, he streaked into clean air with the lead, from the bottom.

It was an impressive series of moves for Macri, who blew by Reutzel and eventual third-place finisher Danny Dietrich before ultimately driving away.

From there, Macri was never challenged. All he had to do was turn in two clean restarts with 20 laps to go and nine to go. Before the first caution for a slowing Tyler Bear, Macri raced out to a three-second lead over Reutzel.

Macri then saw a 1.7-second lead evaporate on the second caution for Brock Zearfoss, who slowed on the front stretch after running in the top five the entire race.

Reutzel tried throwing a slide job into turn one on the ensuing restart with nine laps to go, but appeared to abort the attempt and stay with the bottom as Macri ripped the top and pedaled away.

Two laps after the restart, Macri’s lead was back where it was before the caution at 1.8 seconds.

By the time Larson powered around Reutzel and Dietrich on one move out of turn two with five to go, the lead ballooned to three seconds, leaving the hottest racer on the planet powerless in the waning laps.

“I had the wing all the way back pretty much all race and the top lane opened for me,” said Larson, who has won nine of his past 12 races between the World of Outlaws, All Star Circuit of Champions, and USAC midgets, and finished second in the other three. “I was hoping to grip and momentum to get to second. I wasn’t very good all race.

“The last couple years, [Macri] has been up there, challenging,” Larson added. “So far this year, and even the end of last year, he’s been dominant. I know he’d be the guy to beat tonight, for sure. And then what he did in the dash tonight was impressive.

“In the feature, he was in his own zip code.”

Danny Dietrich filled out the podium, ahead of Reutzel and Brent Marks. Mike Wagner, Dylan Cisney, Cory Eliason, T.J. Stutts and Freddie Rahmer closed the top 10.

The finish:

1. 39m-Anthony Macri [1]; 2. 57-Kyle Larson [4]; 3. 48-Danny Dietrich [5]; 4. 87-Aaron Reutzel [3]; 5. 5-Brent Marks [6]; 6. 55-Mike Wagner [7]; 7. 5c-Dylan Cisney [16]; 8. 26-Cory Eliason [11]; 9. 11t-T.J. Stutts [9]; 10. 51-Freddie Rahmer [17]; 11. 35-Tyler Reeser [8]; 12. 1-Logan Wagner [15]; 13. 11-Zeb Wise [13]; 14. 17-Josh Baughman [10]; 15. 39-Cale Thomas [18]; 16. 14-Tony Stewart [21]; 17. 12-Blane Heimbach [20]; 18. 2-A.J. Flick [14]; 19. 98-Kyle Reinhardt [23]; 20. 20-Ryan Taylor [24]; 21. 13-Paul McMahan [25]; 22. 3z-Brock Zearfoss [2]; 23. 24-Rico Abreu [12]; 24. 91-Tony Fiore [22]; 25. 25-Tyler Bear [27]; 26. 57j-Jeff Miller [28]; 27. 07-Gerard McIntyre [19]; 28. 70-Sye Lynch [26].

Leeds United have removed a cardboard cutout of former al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden from the stands at Elland Road after it was spotted in a photo posted on Twitter, British media have reported.

With no spectators allowed into stadiums as part of efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus, many English clubs are giving fans the chance to send in photos and have cutouts put on the seats instead.

The BBC quoted Leeds as saying they will "ensure there are no more offensive images" in the stands before Saturday's game against Fulham.

Leeds lost 2-0 to Cardiff City on Sunday with goals coming from Junior Hoilett and Robert Glatzel.

The result allowed West Brom to jump into first place in the Championship but only on goal difference as both teams have 71 points after 38 games.

Australian media reported earlier this month that a cutout of British serial killer Harold Shipman was spotted in the stands of a National Rugby League game between Penrith Panthers and Newcastle Knights.

Australia's coach Matthew Mott believes Kim Garth's switch from Ireland to a deal with Victoria should be the spur to help usher in women's professional contracts for Irish cricket to stave off the risk of losing a generation of female talent to wealthier nations.

As a former member of Ireland's coaching staff during the 2015 men's ODI World Cup, Mott has plenty of strong relationships on both sides of the equation, and while backing Garth's decision to pursue a fully professional future, agreed that there was growing danger that emerging nations could have their best players poached by richer set-ups, not least Australia given the pre-eminence of the WBBL as the best domestic T20 event in the world.

While the Covid-19 pandemic has made life difficult for all cricket administrators, Mott was hopeful that the Garth episode would help accelerate Ireland's move to a more fully-resourced and funded program for the women's team, allowing players to make the game their careers without needing to venture overseas in this manner.

ALSO READ: Kim Garth leaves Irish cricket for future in Australia

"It's incredibly important and maybe this is a good thing for Irish cricket - I think it might help fast-track some stuff for their professionalisation," Mott said. "They surely don't want to be losing good players and I know that happened in the men's game. A number of the best Irish players were going to play for England and one ended up captaining England, so I think they've certainly improved in that area.

"They're building their momentum and they need to be playing against good teams and getting better all the time. It's a difficult thing. I'm very close mates with Ed Joyce who's the Irish coach, so I was aware of it some time ago and I think it's disappointing personally for Irish cricket, they've put a lot of work in over the last two years, but obviously a cricketer's ambitions are very important and she's a very ambitious young player and I think it's the best thing for her cricket at the moment.

I have always wanted to play cricket for a living and that's something I just couldn't turn down at this stage in my career, which is why I made the decision. Excited to start with @VicStateCricket but obviously bitter sweet and will really miss all at @Irelandcricket

— Kim Garth (@kim_garth) June 24, 2020

"You've got to back that decision, it's a really gutsy decision to go to the other side of the world and try to follow your dream. We've got a great structure here and it's very attractive for her and she knows our system quite well having been here for a few years as well. I am disappointed for Irish cricket, having coached there myself and know how difficult it is to hold on to good players, but at the end of the day she's got to do the best thing by her and it will be really interesting to see how far she can take her cricket."

The links between Cricket Australia and Cricket Ireland are strong and multi-faceted. During the Covid-19 lockdown period, Mott and the Australia captain Meg Lanning were involved in a series of video seminars geared at aiding the Irish game, while there is also a considerable shared heritage between the two nations dating back deep into the 19th century.

"They just love their cricket and that's the thing that struck me in my time with the Irish team, just how passionate they are about the game and we just want to see them do well," Mott said. "Kim made a decision off her own bat, there was certainly nothing from CA to try to entice her over here, but that being said we'll always welcome good cricketers into our setup."

Garth is expected to seek permanent residency in Australia and Mott said that if she became eligible for the national side she would be treated like any other player. "I think she's a very talented player, and when you look at the Irish team, whenever we come up against them, she's the first name talked about If she comes over and does well, our selectors have shown they will reward performance and she's got every opportunity that everyone else has. She'll be a welcome player in our domestic format."

Casting his mind back to last week's announcement of 40 redundancies across CA, Mott said that the women's national team had been fortunate in not losing much in the way of staff or resources, even as the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane has its operations scaled back in favour of players spending more time with their own state squads.

"First and foremost, it was a really difficult week for anyone in Australian cricket," he said. "I think we're all hurting, we've seen a number of really good staff members leave our workplace, and a lot of those are life-long friendships that will still be there and hopefully one day when cricket really gets strong again and we get out of this crisis, those people are welcomed back.

"In terms of the women's program we've been quite fortunate, we've taken some hits but we've also just hibernated a couple of programs and hopefully when we come out of this we can re-engage. We've got to make better use of the resources we've got, our programs are going to have to be really in-sync and on-point, so we're looking at it as a real challenge."

Mott admitted he was more concerned for cricket's smaller nations, and budgetary decisions currently being made that might push back the development of the women's game outside of Australia. "I worry for some of the developing nations to be honest," he said. "For places like Sri Lanka that aren't as established in their women's programs, and I just hope they can hold on through this period.

"The ICC are definitely trying to champion some of the developing countries to be stronger and that's something all the big nations need to be aware of. We want a global game, we want a world game and where we can help out some of the developing countries whether it's with our human resources or just helping in tournament play and giving them some key messages.

"Having strong domestic competitions, the next frontier is India, we'd love to see an IPL get up and running and giving our players a chance to play in different conditions and experience different cultures as well."